Dive into your memory and remember details about legendary book that created a powerful genre, the zombie genre. His hair was still black, his body inclined to corpulence, his face still white. Ben cortman has really only made one appearance in the film adaptations, the last man on earth, but there always seems to be a leader of the infected that is hellbent on destroying neville in his absence. Dissecting the most faithful adaption to date of richard mathesons i am legend dr. In 2007, it was remade as a big budget theatrical release under its original title i am. Robert neville is constantly pursued by his living dead, next door neighbour ben cortman. In i am legend by richard matheson of who does ben cortman remind neville. The vampires that lurk around nevilles house at night have one thing that makes them more than just a random assortment of hungry monsters, and that is ben cortman. The mans physical size coping with his plight makes neville laugh. Ben cortmanroberts neighbor, now a vampire virginia nevilleroberts wife, now dead. Robert neville is the main character in i am legend and in some ways almost the only character of. Ben cortman is the most realized and recurrent of the vampires storming nevilles house. When the infection arrived, it was ben who had the theory that the infected would become vampires, an idea robert morgan blew off.
Richard mathesons 1954 novel i am legend, though not a massive success when first published, grew over time to be an influential piece of fiction. Now cortman has been robbed of that and, in his brutish awareness, rage, and hunger, he targets his former friend. I am legend novel headhunters horror house wiki fandom. The protagonist, and as far as he knows, the only survivor of the plague.
Contentsshow biography background information and notes film versions ben cortman has really only made one appearance in the film adaptations, the last man on earth, but there always seems to be a leader of the infected that is hellbent on destroying neville in his absence. Please use the follow button to get notification about the latest chapter next time when you visit. The novel was a success and was adapted into the films the last man on earth 1964, the omega man 1971, and i am legend 2007. Nevilles identification with and desire for his undead neighbor, ben cortman, are. Study guide for i am legend novel i am legend novel study guide contains a biography of richard matheson, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters. He checked the windows to be sure the boards still covered them. Based on the 1954 novel by richard matheson titled i am legend, this original film adaptation is the truest to the original story later adaptations were the omega man in 1971 and i am legend in 2007. He takes a syringe and fills it with allyl sulphide. Ben cortman was a scientist with robert morgan, who was later infected and killed. From ruths perspective, neville is indeed guilty of murdering sentient members of her species. He was turned into a vampire by europes disease biography edit. Due to months and then years of isolation, neville grows increasingly depressed and unstable.
In i am legend by richard matheson of who does ben cortman. In i am legend, there are a lot of great elements that came together to make me thoroughly enjoy it. Dive into your memory and remember details about legendary. Robert morgan vincent price is the last man on earth, as far as he can tell. I am legend novel characters by richard matheson i am legend novel character list. Ben cortman is one of the undead who calls robert neville throughout the night, trying to coax him out. Are the zombies from i am legend conscious creatures that. We learn that he had fought in a war in panama, a war which the u. Summer reading i am legend by richard matheson plot. However, seeing that his actions were merely misguided and he was a decent man, gives him the means of ending his life peacefully. I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson that was influential in the modern development of zombie and vampire literature and in popularizing the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease. Robert and he were friends and shared the ride to work.
When he becomes infected, he begins to torment robert. The year is 1975, a virus starts to spread after the latest war is finally over. Robert neville the protagonist, and as far as he knows, the only survivor of the plague. However, during the outbreak of vampiris, he was infected and turned into a vampire ben was in one of the vampire hordes who would gather round nevilles fortified house at night and attempt to break in or entice him out. After a moment he lifted his white face and neville saw him grinning. Robert neville sat down with a sigh and began to eat. With a start he looked up and saw ben cortman running at him from across the street. Neville stood there motionless, looking at ben cortman. He is the one robert recognizes, and so the one who most embodies the.
Over the span of time that the action in mathesons story unfolds in, the presence of ben cortman is both horrific and hopeful, distilling our heros misery and refocusing it as anger, as a. I am legend was released on december 14, 2007, in the united states and canada, and opened to the largest ever box office not adjusted for inflation for a nonchristmas film released in the u. Robert neville went into bens house after virginia died. I am legend is an american scifihorror novel written by richard matheson in 1954. I am legend opens with robert neville inspecting his house on a cloudy day. Above the noises, he heard ben cortman shout as he always shouted. The i am legend novel community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. It was adapted again in 1971 under the title the omega man. He was named a grand master of horror by the world horror convention, and received the bram stoker award for lifetime achievement.
It was influential on the developing modern vampire genre as well as the zombie genre, in popularizing the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease, and in exploring the notion of vampirism as a disease. Some readers find it implausible that neville would be able to conduct so many complex experiments with the vampiresand indeed, in most of the film versions of mathesons book, neville is a scientist, not a worker at a plant, as he is here. But hope keeps her going, as will be proven once and again. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. He is the neighbor of protagonist robert neville named robert morgan in the film who becomes a vampire after being infected by a pandemic, and leads his fellow undead in trying to kill his former friend. When there were reports of europes disease in the us, ben visited robert and virginia on kathys birthday to inform them when there was a major outbreak of the plague in the us, morgan and cortman, who both worked as scientists at the same lab, were given the task of examining the. He stopped robert from retrieving his daughters body from the pit. I am legend richard matheson page 8 read online free books. The sheep act in the same manner in both mediums, stupid, follow some sort of hierarchy, and basically just want to rip peoples guts out. The one at the end, the alpha sheep, i think was supposed to relate to ben cortman. When there were reports of europes disease in the us, ben visited robert and virginia on kathys birthday to inform them. She is sickened by the plague but does not appear among the vampires that gather outside robert nevilles house. Every night, he comes to nevilles house, and shouts at and harasses neville, telling him to come out of his house.
Before infection ben cortman was a scientest alongside robert morgan, and the two were best friends. Previously roberts neighbor and funnyman, turned vampire leader. Yes, seven years later another film, the omega man, with charlton heston, was made from the book, but the price film is. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. The novel was a success and was adapted into the films the last man on earth 1964, the omega man 1971, and i am. In 1954 richard matheson published a groundbreaking story i am legend. Some readers find it implausible that neville would be able to conduct so many complex experiments with the vampiresand indeed, in most of the film versions of mathesons book, neville is a. Ben cortman was a scientest alongside robert morgan, and the two were best friends. However, during the outbreak of vampiris, he was infected and turned into a vampire. He jumped up from the porch and ran into the house, locking and bolting the door behind him with shaking hands. When he got back to the peephole, be saw ben cortman come walking onto the lawn. Cortmans survived attacks from cars, bullets, knives, water and collapsing buildings.
The successes and failures in adapting i am legend film. I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson. Ben cortman nevilles neighbor effected in plague, eventually killed by advanced vampires, comes to roberts house every night come out, neville. Ben cortman was a friend of robert nevilles, until he turned into a vampire. Ben cortman the last man on earth i am legend wiki. The successes and failures in adapting i am legend film inquiry. Come out, neville, robert neville muttered, and cortman echoed the words in a loud cry. He felt, further, that cortman relished the peril of it.
When he became a vampire, he started going to robert morgan s house every night, and would repeatedly beat on his door with a piece of lumber. The story is about the last man on earth, robert neville. Neville, a workingclass man, gradually morphs into a sophisticated scientist. Who is ben cortman from i am legend and what is their importance. When the infection arrived, it was ben who had the theory that the infected would become vampires, an. Ben cortman the last man on earth i am legend wiki fandom. The character of ben cortman in i am legend from litcharts. Ben cortman, is now a vampire, and apparently a fairly smart one.
Neville felt certain that cortman knew he was singled out for capture. Ben cortman, suffers an extremely violent death that disturbs neville. I am legend richard matheson page 15 read online free books. The book has been adapted into film on three seperate occassions. Ben cortman used to live down the street from neville. You may use your books and any other resources to help you through the questions. He reads about how to prepare allyl sulphide, and goes outside to make some. The i am legend quotes below are all either spoken by ben cortman or refer to ben cortman. He would shouted continually into the night, asking for robert to come out, and saying that he will kill him. If the phrase were not such an obvious anachronism, neville would have said that ben cortman had a zest. Every night, he stands outside roberts house calling for him. The character of ben cortman in i am legend from litcharts the. Richard matheson 192620 was the new york times bestselling author of i am legend, hell house, somewhere in time, the incredible shrinking man, now you see it, and what dreams may come, among others.
Answer and discuss the following questions with your teams. Ben cortmans point of view 2 replies he looked out of his peekyhole, a great master piece he had stolen from neville, watching he. Ben cortman last man on earth i am legend wiki fandom. I am legend is a novel by richard matheson in which robert neville struggles to survive as the sole remaining human in a world overrun by vampires robert neville is the only. I am legend tells the tale of robert neville, who is the last living man on earth. Ben cortman is the main antagonist of richard mathesons 1953 novel i am legend, and the 1964 film the last man on earth, its first film adaptation. A plague killed everyone else on the planet several years ago.
A mysterious airborne, plaguebearing dust storm has smothered the world, killing every man, woman and child and reviving them as sluggish, dull witted and eternally ravenous vampires. It was influential in the development of the zombievampire genre and in popularizing the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease. He was infected with vampiris, died, and reanimated as a vampire. The novel was a success and was adapted to film as the last man on earth. He was transformed into a vampire and every night he taughts robert, yelling and daring for. Every night, cortman stands outside nevilles house, shouting for him to come outside. Once a factory worker, neville now spends his days hunting vampires or repairing his house, while hiding in his home at night. Ben cortman is robert nevilles friend and neighbor and, after he becomes infected with the vampire germ, one of nevilles most dangerous enemies. Vampires that were formerly human attack morgans home every night morgans days are spent shoring up his home against the vampire hordes, picking up supplies in the abandoned city, and eliminating. Find a summary of this and each chapter of i am legend. Back in 1976, neville reads about the chemical composition of garlic, and guesses that the chemical found in garlic that vampires hate is allyl sulphide. Then cortman saw the water running through the trough and went over to look at it.
Now, the movie i am legend, the vampires were basically the sheep. The first adaptation of mathesons work was the 1964 vincent price film the last man on earth. Ben cortman could be in any one of those places at one time or another. Cortman s survived attacks from cars, bullets, knives, water and collapsing buildings. I am legend npr coverage of i am legend by richard matheson. For a certain period he went out on the porch just as the dog had finished eating. Stephen king considered this an important book in his development as a writer, and the use of a hero trapped indoors fending off the undead inspired george a. I am legend is a 2007 american postapocalyptic science fiction horror film based on the 1954 novel of the same name by richard matheson, directed by francis lawrence and starring will smith, who plays us army virologist robert neville. Every other man, woman, and child on earth has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for nevilles blood.
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